Design Drool: Say Aloha to the Waikiki Edition

Filed under: Design, etc, Architecture

Ian Schrager and Marriott have unveiled their new hotel collaboration, the Waikiki Edition, just in time to get us dreaming of a winter getaway.

When Marriott announced that they'd partnered with boutique hotelier Ian Schrager back in 2007, the hotel industry took note and eagerly waited to see what would come of the pairing. More than two years after announcing the concept, the first of Marriott's "Edition" hotel group has opened in Hawaii. The Waikiki Edition will be one of many Edition hotels -- each one unique it its design -- to open over the next few years.


Following the creative direction of Schrager, Marriot hired architects George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg and landscape designer Deborah Nevins to create the first Edition hotel. The resulting design clearly draws its inspiration from its environment: Gorgeous, sunny Hawaii. Rooms are designed in almost pure white, quietly framing the view of the ocean beyond. References to surf culture pop up in the common spaces. Landscapes incorporate native plants like palms, jasmine, bougainvillea and banana trees.

A trip to Hawaii may not be in the budget, but that doesn't mean we can't take a peek inside:

As guests enter the lobby they will find an unusual check-in desk. The carved plywood desk was crafted using the traditional techniques used to create wooden surfboards in Hawaii. Behind the curvy structure is an art installation by artist and former pro surfer Herbie Fletcher. Surfers aghast at beautiful boards broken to become wall art need not fret: These boards were all snapped while in use by pro surfers like Kelly Slater, Andy Irons (whose recent death the surfing community is mourning), Bruce Irons, Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson.

Off the main lobby, Yabu and Pushelberg have installed a moving bookcase that divides the bar from the rest of the space -- a smart way to provide both serenity and a nightlife scene for guests. The hotel intends to use the pivoting bookshelves as a rotating gallery for artists.

Rooms at the Waikiki Edition are subdued with a palette of crisp whites, neutral tones and natural woods. However, it's not all seriousness inside, the hotel boasts that it provides guests with a "tongue-in-cheek collection of fun items for enjoyment during your stay (including brightly colored sarongs, day glow ukuleles, vintage postcard covered notebooks, seashells and photographs of the horizon and ocean)" - we wonder how long it will be before guests have run off with all those neon ukuleles.

Deborah Nevins, who is known for site-appropriate designs, has landscaped the outdoor areas. The resulting garden-like environment feels like the island has been allowed to go just a little bit wild, but don't be fooled: The hotel's lagoon is man-made and surrounded by sand that was trucked in to the site.

If the Waikiki Edition is an example of what the Edition hotels currently under construction will be like, we're excited to see the rest of the work resulting form this unique partnership!

Want to keep daydreaming of warm weather retreats? Read on:
- Design Drool: A Return to Don Draper
- Design Drool: Betsey Johnson's Mexican Casitas

 

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